Traction-engine with means for pulling itself out of a rut.



l l E. HARW00D. TRACTION ENGINE WITH MEANS FOR PULL-ING ITSELFOUT 0F A RUT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3|, I9I6. 1,237,642, Patented Aug. 91, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

vIIIIlIII E. H'ARWOUD TRACTION ENGINE WITII MEANS FOR PULLINGITSELF OUT 0F A BUT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. ISI.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

me/hic@ E 1711er f/ lwwocl E. HARWOOD. TRACTION ENGINE WITH-MEANS FOR PULLING vITSELF OUT 0F A RUT.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT 3l. |916.

Patented Aug. v21, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

3mm/wkn, Eimer Harwood.

STES

ELMER HAnwoon, or GOLD BASIN, WASHINGTON.

TRACTION-ENGINE WITH MEANS FOR PULLING ITSELF OUT OF A RUT.

Specification of Letters lpat'ent. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application led October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,763.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known lthat I, ELMER HARwooD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gold Basin, Vashington, in the county of King, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction Engines with Means for Pulling Themselves Out of Buts, of which the following is a full,true, and

exact specification. f

The invention relates to improvements in means for pulling a traction engine from the mud by its ownpower.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism for causing the traction engine to move faster thansame would travel under its own power through the ordinary gearing for the purpose of packing the clay or mud opposite the wheels of the traction engine that the latter may obtain traction when the wheels are rotated by the power of the engine. v

A further object of the invention is to provide means for pulling the engine faster than it could ordinarily travel under its own power, and means for increasing ordecreasing the Speed of such mechanism independently of the speed imparted by the engine inthe ordinary travel of the machine.

The invention also eomprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. s

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 illustrates conventionally an elevation. of a traction engine with the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, the traction engine being indicated in dotted lines.y

Fig. Bis a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating another form of the invention.

Fig. 4E is an end view of the same. s

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Two forms of thel invention are illustrated, but in both the fundamental principle is involved, and each will be separately described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A ordinary traction engine, Bl the traction wheels, C the front wheels, D the axle thereof, and E the standard .between the axle and the boiler. H I

1 indicates the usual power shaft operated from the engine ordinarily employed in machines of this type. Secured `on the shaft 1,

indicates an is a beveled pinion 2, andmeshing with the beveled pinion is a similar beveled pinion 3, mounted on a short shaft 4, supported in bearings 5, suitably connected to theframe of the traction engine. On the shaft fis fastened a fly Wheel 6, one face thereof forming a clutch member into which a clutch member 7 fits. The clutch` member 7 is provided with a grooved collar 9,'mounted on a `short shaftS, ksupported in a transmission casing 8?. Between the collar 9 and vthe transmission casing is a spring 8b, to normally hold theclutch sections together, and fitting in the groove of the collar 9 is alever 10, to control the ymovement of the member 7.

Mounted in the transmission casing 8a, and a suitablev bearing 9, extending from the traction engine, is a shaft 1l, provided with suitable gears 11a, in the transmission casing and a ratchet wheel 12, engaged by a pawl 13, and at thelovver end of the shaft 11, is a lbeveled pinion 14.

Mounted on. the transmission casing is a lever 15, the lower end vof which is suitably connected to gears 16, inl the. transmission casing. The lever 15 extends through a casting 17, provided with the usual H-path v 19, ordinarily employed in transmission shifting mechanism.- The gearing in the transmission box `is not shown in detail,y as it maybe of any well known construction,

however for the purpose of this invention,

linstead of shifting the gears from neutral to low speed, the gears are first shifted to high speed, and the speed may be reduced Vby manipulating the lever to throw in the 27, driven into the ground. From the sheave 26, the cable is extended to engage a hook 28, attached to the front axle of the traction machine. Y f

In operation the post 27 is driven `into the ground a suitable distance from the traction engine, and where the same is stuck in the mud; and the levers 10 and 15 aremanipulated to take up -the slack in the cable 25, before power from kthe shaft 1 is imparted to the traction wheels B. The slack having been taken ,up, the l.clutch is momentarily disconnected, and the lever' 15 is operated to throw the high speed mechanism into gear. At the same time the power shaft is connected through the usual mechanism with `the' traction' wheels B, consequently there are two forces working 0n the traction wheels. One force, that dueto the rotation of the drum through the cable pulling at the machine bodily in forward direction, and secondly, the other force which is therotation ofthe traction wheels B; The speed of the gearing on the machine is such that it will draw the machine bodily forward at a greater rate of speed than the motion imparted through the rotation of the traction wheels The result is with tlre forward thrust of the periphery of lthe traction wheels againstv lthe' mud in which the machine is stufck serves to' pack the mud in advancer of the wheels, and affords a traction surface therefor when the traction wheels are rotated in the ordinary operation of the machine. The result is, assuming the clay is soft and traction cannot be had, the mud becomes packed and forms al hard surface, which enables the wheels to' obtain a grip, and therefore the machine is moved forward'v out of tl're'rut. y

The purpose of drawing the maehinefrwardly at its greatest ra'te of speed at thel beg'inning of 4the peration is to) cause the wheelsl to thrust against the soft mud to pack the sam'e for the beg-inning of the tractive movement of th'e wheels B'. Vhen the -mu'd is so packed 4. and traction can vbe had, the gears' are shifted and a'y lower speed is imparted, consequently power is obtained through the drum and' cable to coperate with the traetive influence of the wheels B to' pull the ma'ch'ine in a forward direction and out of the rut. Asthere are several gears and lspeeds contemplated by the mechanism shown', it is-evident that after the prelimina-ry advancement of the machine is over', the said gears can be shifted' according to the-conditions of the mud or the road over which the machin'e is'v traveling.

Y ln" case it be' desired to move .the machine in backward' direction', the cable 25 is' extended rearwardly, and under a sheave 30 attached to the' frame, and is then passed over a sheave 31,y attachedfto' a post 32, and is their extended' to' a hook or the like 33', on the' rear or the engine.

In the' form of the invention shown in Figs;- 3` toi 5`, a somewhat different construction is disclosed,l and in addition thereto.

tractors arek emplyed' for assisting inthe movement of the' engine when` same is stuck in a rut.

@qa power shaft 40are beveled piniohs hr addition' to' these beveled pni'ons 41 other'beveledl pinions 42 are loosely mounted on* the shaft, each of whi'eh is provided with lother of these gears is .brought intoi'nesh with pinion 41, by shifting-y th'e lever 48. v

On one end of shaft 46 vis' a pinion 49,

which meshes with a train of gears 50, mount ed on shafts supported in a bracket 51. The

last of the train of gears 50 meshes with a pinion 52,' on a shaft 53. @n one end of this shaft is .a beveled pini-on 54,v which meshes with a beveled pinion 55,v mounted on a shaft 56.4 The shaft is splined to allow same to slide through beveled pinion 55,1an-d at its lower end it is provided with'y a beveled pinionv 57, which meshes witha'gbeveled pinion 58, on shaft 59. The shaft 59 extends across the under part of the traction engine and isl provided with two tractors 60,l and is mounted in a yoke 61, which is designed to be moved up .and down to carry the tractors into' and out of engagement with the ground.

r.Phroiigli each side of the yoke adjacent the boiler of the traction engine extends a screw l 62, which entends through a threaded opening in' a worm wheel 63', supported in; suitable bearings 64. Meshing with the worm wheel 63 i's a worm 65, mounted on a short shaft'66",y on which is alsomounted abeveled i pinion 67. Meshii'ig with the wheel 67 is a bevel pinion 68, monnted on' a short shaft 69, and on the opposite end of this' shaft is a beveled pinion 70. Meshingwith the'beveled pinion TO: isa beveled' pini-oir 71,'monted on a short shaft72, and at the npper end thereof is a beveled pinion 73; which' meshes with* one of the beveled pin-ions' 42.

Eztending across the under sideVA of the boiler in rear of the front wheels of thel traction engine is a shaft 80, and' mounted there on are two drumsV 81,' around which cables S2 are passed, same passing over sheaves secured to posts, asv before described',I and eX- tending to' hooks 83, on the front aXl'e of the traction engine. Thel shaft v8O is rotated through beveled pinions 84, which mesh with a pinion- 85', on the shaft 53.

In operation the levers 45 are operated to engage the clutch membersv 44`A with vthe clutchl member 43', which rotates the g'ears 73',- etc'., an'd worm 65, whichA rotates the worm gearing (S3-65;` Rotation of the worm wheel 63, throughthe instrumentality of the threaded screws 62,`v lowers' the yoke 61 to bring the tractors 60 intoA Contact with the ground. Then the handle 48 is operated 'be understood that the gearing for rotating the shaft 80 will be so arranged as to cause the machine to travel faster than the movement imparted by the traction wheels when power is applied for rotating said wheels, and during the time the shaft 80 is rotated and the traction wheels are rotated, the tractors 60 are constantly engaging the ground to advance the machine and pull same out of the rut.

The mechanism described not only causes the periphery of the traction wheels to impact with the ground, but it also enables the tractors 60 to likewise impact with the earth, with the result that traction is obtained for the advancement of the machine. If the traction is not sufficient, then of course the tractors are lowered further into the ground so as to take a greater bite on the earth, which causes the machine to move forwardly.

If it be desired to move the machine in` a rearward direction the cables will be directed under the machine and attached to the rear thereof in substantially the same manner described in connection with the preferred form of the invention.

l. In combination, a power driven vehicle including an engine, `power shaft, traction wheels and gearing between the engine and traction wheels, a drum on the vehicle, gearing between the drum and the power shaft, means for reversing the gearing, a support located beyond the vehicle, a sheave on the support, a cable passed around the drum and the sheave and secured at its opposite end to the vehicle, the gearing causing the drum to pull lon the cable and draw the vehicle at a greater rate of speed than the speed imparted by the traction wheels to pack the earth for the said wheels to obtain traction with said earth.

2. In combination, a'power driven vehicle including an engine, a power shaft, traction wheels, and gearing between the engine and traction wheels, a drum, a support located beyond the vehicle, a sheave on the support, a cable passed around the drum and sheave and fastened to the vehicle, gearing operated from the power shaft to rotate the drum at a speed which will pull the vehicle at a Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, byy addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, .'D. G.

greater rate of speed than that imparted by the traction wheels, and means for reversing the movement of the drum independently of the speed of the traction wheels.

In combination, a power driven vehicle including an engine, power shaft, traction wheels, and gearing between the engine and traction wheels, a drum on the vehicle, gearing between the drum and the power shaft, means for reversing the gearing, a support located beyond the vehicle, a sheave on the support, a cable passed around the drum and the sheave and secured at its opposite end to the vehicle, a pair of tractors, a frame carrying the tractors, gearing for rotating the tractors, and gearing operated by the engine for raising and lowering the tractors,

e. In combination, a power driven vehicle including an engine, power shaft, traction wheels, and gearing between the engine and traction wheels, a drum on the vehicle, gearing between the drum and the power shaft, means for reversing the gearing, a support located beyond the vehicle, a sheave on the support, a cable passed around the drum and the sheave and secured at its opposite end to the vehicle, a pair of tractors, a frame carrying the tractors, gearing for rotating the tractors, means for raising and lowering the frame including screw shafts and geariilg,E the latter being operated by the power s a t.

5, In combination, a power driven vehicle including an enginepand power shaft, a pair of vertically movable tractors, a frame in which the tractors are supported, gearing operated from the power shaft to raise and lower the frame, means for controlling the latter gearing, a drum on the vehicle, gearing operated by the power shaft `for'simultaneously rotating the drum and the tractors, a reversing gear, means for controlling the reversing gear and the gearing which operates the drum and the tractors, a cable passed around the drum, a block located beyond the vehicle and around which the cable is passed, the opposite end of the cable being attached to the vehicle.

6. In combination, a power drivenvehicle including an engine and power shaft, a pair of tractors, a frame in which the tractors are mounted, vertical screws extending from the frame, a nut engaging each screw, said nuts having teeth on their peripheries, gearlng between the nuts and the power shaft for operating the frame, a drum shaft, drums mounted thereon, gearing between the drum shaft and the power shaft for rotating the drum, means for reversing the rotary motion of the drums, and cables wound around the drum and extending therefrom.

ELMER I-IARWOOD. 

